On last night’s episode of “The Good Wife“–spoiler alert!–Gardner, the character played by actor Josh Charles, was killed in a courtroom shooting. The fatality took many “Good Wife” fans by surprise, in part because there was very little buildup. The death happened suddenly, just like tragedies sometimes happen in real life. And real life–and real death–used to be the last thing people expected from TV dramas.

In recent weeks and months, killing major characters has become a thing on television. Of course, back in the day, TV had its share of deaths. In 1975 on “M*A*S*H,” the Henry Blake character, beloved by nearly everyone, was shot down over the Sea of Japan. In 1980 on the “All in the Family” spinoff “Archie Bunker’s Place,” the Edith Bunker character, beloved by nearly everyone, died of a stroke.